Create a winning sales culture with insights from championship teams

Learning from the best in the game

"Winning is not a sometime thing; It's an all-the-time thing" - Vince Lombardi

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Contrary to what the "good sports" might say, winning does matter. Turning up to have a good time with a positive attitude is all well and good, but for sports professionals playing, performing, and competing at the top of their game, winning is everything. In the world of sales, this relentless pursuit of victory can make a significant difference to a team's success.

The dynamics in team sports are especially interesting. Individual talent and a will to win can only get you so far. To truly flourish in these pressurised environments, there needs to be a unified feeling of togetherness, getting the best out of each talented individual while keeping team-wide goals in mind.

The England Football team is a prime example of world-class individuals failing to deliver as a group. With almost 60 years of hurt since that infamous World Cup win, the pieces have never quite fallen into place, whether due to egos clashing, playstyles not gelling, tactics failing, or management faltering.

Shortcomings like these are also commonplace in sales settings. Teams of alphas may drive a mantra of victory over everything else. Still, there should always be an understanding that teamwork and cohesion are the fundamental foundations for healthier, sustained success. In both sports and sales, the real success lies in building a culture of high performance rooted in collaboration.

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You win in the locker room first

"Better people make better All Blacks" - Graham Henry

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One way of building a top sports team is to target the best players and forge winning strategies around them. But as many modern teams find, PARIS ST GERMAIN FOOTBALL CLUB and the New York Yankees, players come and go every year. Some are searching for a new challenge, and others are following the next big paycheck. In response, teams need to establish their own identity with core values that players respect and adhere to as soon as they arrive. Sales teams can learn from this approach by fostering a strong, value-driven identity that new team members can immediately connect with.

The New Zealand Rugby team, commonly known as the All Blacks, are a perfect testament to promoting and exuding pride of nation and culture. While this immediately points to their breathtaking collective Haka performance before a game, they are also known for their core values and standards on and off the pitch. The All Blacks' success is a powerful example for sales teams looking to build a winning culture.

Follow the spearhead: Flying in formation, moving forward together as a complete unit, with no room for anyone behaving bigger than the team. Talent does not always guarantee a spot on this roster; character does. Sales teams should adopt a similar mentality, prioritising character and unity over individual talent.

Champions do extra: Understanding that there is always something extra to do. Even the most successful athletes and individuals can squeeze out additional results, whether it's an extra rep in the gym or staying later at the end of a working day.

Go for the gap: Identifying appropriate opportunities for change, even when you're on top of your game. The All Blacks have benefitted from their culture of continuous improvement, just as any performance-focused sales team can.

Keep a blue head: Finding a way to stay calm under pressure. The All Blacks found that by controlling what you focus your attention on, you achieve clarity to take command of your performance. Sales reps are also often susceptible to pressure, making it essential to keep a level head and make the right decisions when it matters most, whether in negotiation or prioritising effort for results.

Leave the jersey in a better place: Recognising that the jersey is bigger than the current player who wears it. You are a piece of a legacy, a role model to inspire the next generation as those before you were to you. In the B2B world, the sales process can be long and arduous. Persistence pays off. It takes time to build a reputation and develop the relationships that convert to revenue. Sales reps should work for the greater good, creating value that may yield returns after they have moved on.

Rituals and language: The All Blacks believe rituals reinforce and reignite their collective identity and purpose. Paired with their language of humility, excellence, and respect, they lay the groundwork for a positive team mentality to flourish. Inspirational leadership instils core values through memorable actions, just as ringing the sales gong was designed to motivate and encourage.

Sweep the sheds: A core value of humility, leaving all egos at the door and never holding oneself above and ahead of anyone or anything else. While on the face of it, this refers to the All Blacks tidying their locker room, it really means chipping in, working towards goals together, and taking pride in work, which is a feature of high-performing teams.

With these core values, the All Blacks have built a culture that sets the standard. There are no excuses and no exceptions, even for talented players. The team has an incredible win rate, upwards of 75% since debuting in 1903, all while staying true to themselves and building honour around the shirt. The All Blacks are a perfect case study for recognising how pivotal core values are in establishing a base for excellence. These values can be applied to the moving parts of any successful sales team.

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Successful strategies from sports to sales

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." - Nick Saban

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Teamwork really can make the dream work, but not without tactical intervention. In any scenario, a team is formed to meet larger goals that stretch beyond an individual's capabilities. Any sports team needs to be a functioning, collective unit, but at the highest elite levels, full team cohesion is not expected; it is demanded. Once this is established, the coaching staff can earn their stripes. Using their collective experience, they devise devastating tactics and strategies, which can work wonders when executed by a committed group of players.

Football is a perfect example of where teamwork and tactics can work in tandem to achieve success. During the famed FC Barcelona era of 2008 to 2012, Pep Guardiola had the talented likes of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Puyol, and Dani Alves propping up the core of his team but had them playing with seamless cohesion. They kept possession for fun and dictated the pace of games with an effortless connection and presence on the pitch. Each player knew their role and where their teammates were. The Guardiola way has since inspired other teams to succeed, and now it can inspire your sales team too.

Form a team of hard-working, high-performance individuals with situational awareness and the capacity to adapt and interchange for the good of the team. Just as Guardiola's team mastered the art of fluid play, sales teams can benefit from a dynamic approach to chasing leads and maintaining high standards. A fluid, seamless sales unit can echo Guardiola's success if it is ambitious with the leads it chases and equally robust in maintaining standards.

While Barcelona and other Pep-inspired teams are known for their beautiful football and defined winning legacies, there is an English league champion with a more surprising story of success. Leicester City Football Club pulled off one of the biggest coups in sporting history in the 2015/16 Premier League season. Leicester's squad was nothing like the usually dominant Manchester City in terms of star power, financial spending, and on-the-pitch flair. And yet, having finished 14th the season prior, the mid-table minnows played to their strengths of explosive counterattacking and came together as a well-oiled machine to make history. Contrastingly, the success story of Leicester City provides valuable lessons on leveraging an underdog mentality.

The Leicester City story speaks to the underdog mentality's potential for success when tactics are executed perfectly while simultaneously taking advantage of faltering competition. Any sales team can benefit from compartmentalising and playing to strengths; there just needs to be a team-wide belief in the proposed direction and a determination to get the job done.

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Sales teams can learn a great deal from these footballing insights. Team building and onboarding can help integrate new starters into a tightly-knit sales team, but for them to produce the best work possible, they need strategies to drive them towards success and play to get them there. Drawing inspiration from these sports examples, a well-crafted sales playbook can guide your team to success. A sales playbook should be packed with the holy grail of sales materials and sales enablement content to get reps firing on all cylinders, covering all bases, and delivering for the team.

Whether it is internal resources to ramp up sales readiness or external resources to share with prospects and leads, a playbook clearly defines the path to glory, with a tailored structure to get your reps singing from the same hymn sheet. Here's a look at what you should include in your playbook to ensure your sales team is as prepared as a championship sports team:

Internal resources

‍Battlecards: These concise strategic documents provide a deep dive into your competitors' strengths and weaknesses, empowering your sales representatives to position your products more effectively and outmanoeuvre the competition.

Tele scripts: These carefully crafted scripts serve as a roadmap for effective phone conversations, helping your sales team guide the discussion, handle objections with finesse, and increase the likelihood of closing deals.

Value proposition decks: These clarity-enhancing decks give your sales team a comprehensive understanding of your company's messaging and market positioning. Armed with this knowledge, they can confidently articulate your unique value proposition and capture the attention of potential customers.

External resources

Whitepapers, eBooks, and solution briefs: These in-depth informational resources offer potential customers valuable insights and expertise, helping to nurture leads and establish your company as a trusted authority in your industry.

Sales decks: These presentations outline key selling points and engage potential customers during sales pitches. By using compelling visuals and persuasive messaging, sales decks can effectively communicate your product's value and drive sales.

Infographics and flyers: These visually appealing resources provide a quick and easy way to convey product information, facts, data, and key features. Using engaging graphics and clear language, infographics and flyers can effectively capture attention and convey essential information.

Success stories: These detailed accounts of customer success stories demonstrate the practical application and benefits of your offerings. By showcasing real-world examples of how your products have helped businesses achieve their goals, success stories can establish your company as a reliable solution provider.

Articles: These informative pieces delve into topics of interest to your target audience, helping to establish your company as a thought leader in your industry. By sharing your expertise and insights through articles, you can attract potential customers and position your company as a trusted source of information.

Factsheets: These concise documents outline the features, benefits, and advantages of your products or services. By providing a clear and brief overview of your offerings, factsheets can help potential customers make informed decisions.

Email and messaging templates: These pre-crafted templates ensure clear and consistent communication across your sales team. By providing a framework for emails, letters, and other communication channels, templates can save time, improve efficiency, and maintain quality and consistency.

A winning culture is forged by losses

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

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No sporting article would be complete without a quote from the GOAT.

Just like Michael Jordan, many other top athletes attribute their successes to their ability to overcome hardships and mistakes. This is proof of how both wins and losses contribute serious value to progression and eventual success.

In sales, just as in sports, learning from failures is key to building a resilient and successful team culture. A winning culture has two main prongs: trust and teamwork set the stage for a drive toward victory. Whether it comes from the legacy-defining core values of the All Blacks or the title-winning tactics of Pep Guardiola's sides, teams succeed when they have a clear structure and foundation to build on.

Establishing a winning culture through encouraging continuous improvement is by no means exclusive to championship-winning sports teams. Creating and nurturing a winning sales culture can have huge implications for a business's performance, setting a precedent for potential success.

Sales culture reflects and encompasses a team's attitudes, values, and habits. A positive workplace boosted by ethical, motivated, and like-minded individuals is more likely to empower productivity, encourage development, and enable growth.

Sales teams can learn plenty from the mentality of elite sports teams in how a winning culture can inspire success.

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AXD Agency "Get 30% more from your sales team"

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And AXD Agency can help

Let AXD support your sales team.

At AXD, we can help your sales team push for success. Our tried and tested sales enablement content enables reps to perform at the highest levels. By integrating these sports-inspired strategies into your sales approach, we can help you build a winning sales culture.

Book a free discovery call with our team to learn more.

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More sales content. More sales contacts. More sales conversations. More sales conversions.

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